If there was no animal research, there would be no cure

Many people may not know this, but animal research has played an important role in almost every major medical advancement of the last century. The list includes antibiotics, blood transfusions, chemotherapy, dialysis, insulin, organ transplantation, heart bypass surgery, joint replacement, vaccinations, how a cancer gene works, new vaccines, and many more treatments that help stop suffering.1 These treatments are based on knowledge attained through research with lab animals. We have been able to learn and understand a great deal in the field of science and medicine through this testing; however, it has been at the expense of innocent animals. Although there are alternatives to animal testing, living organisms are very complex, and the only way to learn more is through research on other complex organisms that possess the same traits.

The many discoveries that have occurred, based on animal testing in the nineteenth century, have had a significant impact on how we live and view medicine. There are still a lot of questions, and even unknown questions in the field of science and medicine, that can benefit us in the same way they have in the past; therefore, animal testing should be continued for this purpose only. There are laws that protect animals and the amount that can be used and how they are treated to prevent cruelty. Many people who test on animals conduct their research with the obligation to keeping the animal safe. Their research uses as few animals as possible, and only when necessary, and in designed experiments that yield valid results and use the best possible methods and treatments.

Animal experiments were used in the discovery of anesthesia. Humphrey Davy demonstrated that nitrous oxide produced a reversible state of unconsciousness in animals. Through many trials, Davy led to the conclusion that animals could survive for long periods in an atmosphere of nitrous oxide mixed with air, and he consistently inhaled the gas himself. He noted on one trial that the gas actually relieved his toothache. In his book, published in 1800, Davy concludes: “As nitrous oxide in its extensive operation appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place.”2 Later on, in the 1820s, Dr. Henry Hickman continued the experiments a stage further by performing surgery on animals under a state of carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide. Hickman tried to interest the medical field in the possibility of preventing pain during surgery by inhalation of these gases. However, he was ignored. More than twenty years later, the dentist Horace Wells, under nitrous oxide anesthesia, had a wisdom tooth removed by his partner Riggs. The nitrous oxide was administered by Quincy Colton, who was a medical student making his living by exploring the effects of laughing gas on members of the audience at stage shows.3 Before the laughing gas parties or ether frolic in the 1840s, the work of perfecting general anesthesia was already in play and being tested on animals.

Banting and Best with a dog on the roof of the medical building | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Another critical discovery, very prominent in the lives of many today, is insulin. Studies using experimentally-induced animal models of diabetes were done to discover that insulin could be used to treat diabetes.4 The experiments began in 1921 by Frederick Banting and Charles Best. They began experimenting by removing the pancreas from a dog. The dog became thirsty, drank lots of water, and urinated more often. The dog became weaker and weaker. They found that this was due to the removal of sugars from the urine of the dog, whose pancreas had been previously removed, which is a typical animal model of diabetes. Experimenting on another dog, Banting and Best surgically ligated the pancreas, which stopped the flow of nourishment. This was so that the pancreas degenerated. After some time, they removed the pancreas, sliced it up, and froze the pieces in a mixture of water and salts.5 When the pieces were half frozen, they were ground up and filtered. The isolated substance was named “isletin.” This extract was then injected into the diabetic dog. Its blood glucose level dropped, and it seemed healthier and stronger. By giving a diabetic dog a few injections a day, Banting and Best could keep it healthy and free of symptoms.6 With continuing research, however, the extracts were found to be toxic. This caused a serious fever in both the dogs and diabetic patients. A biochemist named James Collip partnered with them and prepared insulin from the pancreas’ of cows and pigs. James Collip used alcohol to extract insulin, which produced several different protein solutions. He then needed to find out how much insulin was present in each solution. This was done by measuring their activity by injecting each solution into rabbits and monitoring their blood sugar levels. Collip developed a measure of activity based on the ability of the extract to lower blood sugar in the rabbit, which was used to standardize extracts. The three scientists, Collip, Banting, and Best’s extracts were used successfully in dogs and then in patients in 1922 with exceptional results. Millions today depend on this discovery, because insulin helps keeps blood sugar levels from getting too high or too low. Insulin regulates how the body uses and stores glucose and fat, and many of the body’s cells rely on it to take glucose from the blood for energy. It is very important and many people who have diabetes depend on this discovery.

Heart-lung machine | 1953 | Courtesy of Medical Discoveries

Moreover, like many medical advances, the making of the heart-lung machine depended heavily on animal research.7 The cardiopulmonary bypass pump, or heart-lung machine, can take on the role of the heart and lungs during cardiac surgery. Opening up a person and being able to operate on a heart is extremely difficult and requires precise movements. As with any surgery, any wrong move or wrong cut can cause severe damage and even death. The machine allows for blood to bypass the heart while surgeons work. It is attached to the veins that feed the heart and to the arteries that leave it, where it draws blood from a patient just before it reaches the heart.8 In 1931, John Gibbon began to investigate the possibility of building an external device that could do the job of the heart and lungs for a short period of time. The research initially began using cats and developing a machine that could replace the function of a cat’s heart and lungs for twenty minutes.9 Unfortunately, not many of the cats survived longer that twenty-three days after surgery. Gibbon’s World War II army service in the China-Burma-INBM Theater temporarily interrupted his research. The research then continued with dogs, where initially the survival rates were low. He used a new series of experiments with dogs in the 1950s, using IBM-built machines. The new device used a new method of cascading the blood down a thin sheet of film for oxygenation, instead of the original technique that could potentially damage blood corpuscles. These experiments revealed the need to add filters to the heart-lung device to prevent blood clots. The dogs began surviving and the heart-lung machine was eventually prepared for use in humans. In 1953, the first successful operation on a human, using the heart-lung machine, was performed. Cecelia Bavolek underwent an open-heart bypass surgery, where the machine totally supported her heart and lung functions for more than half the duration.10 Today, this machine, which was perfected through many animal experiments, is commonly used to do the job of the heart and lungs for many hours, allowing for complex cardiac surgeries to take place. This machine is also used in keeping patients alive during heart transplants, and supported premature babies.

Animal testing has helped researchers discover or improve drugs and treatments, which have improved health and medicine. As mentioned, many medical treatments that many people heavily depend on today have been made possible by animal testing. Scientists and researchers are, of course, not allowed to experiment on humans, so the other route to go is on animals. In fact, 71 of the Nobel Prizes for Medicine won in the last 103 years were awarded to scientists who used animals in their research. There is still a lot to learn in the field of science and medicine, so animal research is still necessary in order for there to be advances.

This Post Has 74 Comments

Rosario Moreno

You know this article really sheds light on the other side of the spectrum. Every time I heard the words “animal testing” I only associated it with other words like “unfair” and “wrong.” Although it is true that we forget that animal testing has provided treatments. In your article when you spoke about anesthesia, that really got me thinking. Anesthesia has been able to help millions and like I do not know where we would be. Great article !

Nadia Carrasco

This articles title caught my attention right away! I have always stood strongly for the side of no animal testing but this article caught me off guard. One main topic that really stood out to me was that scientist have found many medicine through animal testing. Although I see the importance behind the testing I still do not stand by it. I hope in the future we can come up with another alternative.

Alicia Guzman

I am a very big proponent of the cruelty-free movement. This article provides a perspective that is different than my own. While I am still not convinced its argument gives examples of medical breakthroughs like cardiovascular surgery that would have been impossible without it. It makes you think twice. With that said I do not agree with the image saying that without research we would return to the Dark Ages.

Maria Martinez

This article does a great job of explaining this point of view that is not really supported by society. Now a days the “stop animal testing” movement has grown stronger and louder, however as explained by the writer there are a lot of factors that go into this controversial topic. With diabetes being one of the most commonly found conditions in America and its numbers growing, the discovery and testing of insulin has been vital. I think one of the main arguments to take into account is the fact that there are humane animal testings and inhumane animal testings, but there are laws in place today regulating these very issues.

Chelsea Alvarez

This article was very informative on animal testing and the revolutionary ways in which scientists have been able to make medicines and perform specific surgeries. Although I do find it sad that animals suffer due to humans utilizing them for experiments, there are times when it makes sense to use an animal rather than a human subject. However, I am hopeful that in the future technological advancements will allow for medicines and procedures to not require animal testing.

I’ve always said that scientists cannot simply employ a revolutionary new medication or technique on a patient without first testing it on the next closest thing, an animal. While understandbly distressing that animals can and do sometimes die during these tests, the risk for humans is simply too great. This was a fantastic article that presented the main point in a rational and impassionate way, and that deserves to be commended.

Danniella Villarreal

Everywhere I go I always see the words “not tested on animals”. I never realized that all these medical procedures started off being tested on animals. A lot of people might think that with todays technology we should be able to leave animals out of the labs but there are certain situations that animal testing does help.

Emily Jensen

On nearly every bottle of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even perfume there are 4 words that I always see: Not tested on animals. I hadn’t really put much thought into why we would need to test anything on animals until I read this article. I had no clue that the cardiopulmonary bypass pump and insulin were tested on animals, though it makes sense. This article is definitely one of my top 5 favorite articles that I’ve read.

Jose Fernandez

I think this a great topic for an article! The title really caught my attention and it is very well written and structured. I didn’t know that tall those scientific discoveries and creations had been tested in animals in their development stage. I think this is a very sensitive topic nowadays. Maybe now we have the resources and technology available to avoid using animals to test our scientific projects. I guess I understand both points of view.

Damian Jennings

I completely understand the authors point of view, but there was no overall solution provide in substitute of animals, how about humans? I believe testing on animals is more humane than testing on our own species. I support animal testing, but I do understand the opposing side, I wonder what their alternative is and how they would fund this research in a more “sane method.”